Forest cover change, driving forces and its implication for livelihoods in Bure district of Illubabor zone, southwest Ethiopia

Abstract

Developing sustainable forest management strategies requires careful understanding of changes in forest cover and its driving forces. Therefore, this study was conducted to detect the spatial extent and trends of forest cover change, identify driving forces, and its implication for livelihoods in the Bure district of Illubabor zone, southwest Ethiopia. Landsat images of 1986, 2000, and 2023 were used to detect the forest cover changes. Focus group discussions, survey questionnaire, key informant interviews and field observation were used to identify the drivers for forest cover change. Results identified four different land use and land cover classes, namely forestland, cultivated land, grassland and wetland. The results of the change detection showed that there has been a notable spatiotemporal change in the forest cover in the study district from 1986 to 2023. The forest's initial extent was 52,800 ha in 1986; between 1986 and 2000, it reduced by 3,300 ha, between 2000 and 2023, it shrunk by 30,200 ha, and between 1986 and 2023, it minimized by 33,500 ha. There were several factors that contributed to the observed changes in forest cover, including the expansion of farmland, rapid population growth, demand for fuelwood and construction materials, charcoal making and timber production, and overgrazing. Reduced agricultural productivity, soil erosion, climate change, and biodiversity loss were all caused by changes in the forest cover. Based on the study findings, it is recommended that afforestation and reforestation programs be put in place in order to increase forest cover in the study area.

Keywords

• change detection
• drivers
• remote sensing
• vegetation cover